Kevin Jones

If you've not followed me on Twitter before, you might not know that I like looking at Kickstarter for things that amuse me, for one reason or another. It could be a pretty blatant scam, "no way", or just a good idea.

The first one I saw today was a 5K monitor. Seems pretty much "let's clone the Apple Studio Display" which, if you're going to rip off a display, it's at least a good place to start. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1172467766/geekon-retro-the-affordable-5k-27-ips-retina-monitor?ref=discovery_category_newest

But it needs.. $3000 to meet its funding goal? Seems sus. The actual display itself is $899 which is.. low for the feature set. 5K? Thunderbolt?

If you Google the product you can see it has been "launched" many times over the past year. You can even buy it from a Chinese website, supposedly.

Anyway, seems like a high risk thing to back.

Geekon X27 Studio, Immerse Yourself In A 5K Dream

5120 * 2880 | 27” Retina Screen | 500nits Brightness | JBL Speaker｜Thunderbolt™ 3 | 90W PD | Perfect Combination for MacOS

Kickstarter
Dec 14, 2022 at 5:50amWeb
Show threadKevin JonesDec 14, 2022

Ohh Here's a good one. "Incognito Storage - Military Grade Security for your Data". https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/techsploit/incognito-communication-app?ref=discovery_category_newest

Military grade!

"Incognito is a decentralized storage solution that uses military grade encryption to secure your data on our servers."

Hm. "Decentralized" and "on our servers" interesting choices are being made but let's keep reading.

"It's like parking your car into your garage and hiding the wheels in the bathroom and the steering wheel in the kitchen."

Ehhh okay. Not really selling it. I usually keep my wheels on my car.

There's absolutely no information about said "military grade encryption", no description of key management, etc. i guess that could be forgiven given that it's a consumer focused thing, but there are plenty of things about this Kickstarter that make it an absolute no.

Incognito Storage - Military Grade Security for your Data

Incognito Storage allows you to upload and store your data on a decentralized platform, even in the event of a leak your data is safe!

Kickstarter
Show threadKevin JonesDec 14, 2022

"Password Evaluator - The best password strength calculator website."

Ha. Haha. Okay.

You give the website your password. It tells you how long it would take to crack and if it's been in any breaches.

The website is already working though. It's running on a raspberry pi. (It really says that). So, you give this website your passwords that is running on a raspberry pi, probably in this guy's house. With the Kickstarter funding, he intends to buy a more powerful raspberry pi.

I hope I don't need to say it, but don't stick your password into random sites, just generate them using a password manager. Hopefully in several years we'll all be using passkeys.

Show threadKevin JonesDec 14, 2022
Oh I forgot to include a link to the last one. Here's the website that checks your password running on a raspberry pi. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/raulet/password-evaluator?ref=discovery_category_newest
Password Evaluator

The best password strength calculator website.

Kickstarter
Show threadchar (#4|2Dec 14, 2022
@vcsjones
But hey! No risks nor challenges at all: "I just need to change the SD card from one Raspberry to the other."
Show threadBustaDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones Yeah, really makes no sense. So my data gets split up and when some split data gets lost, I cannot recover that data. Seems great.
Show threadAlun JonesDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones Maybe they store the ones in the servers, and spread the zeroes around the Internet?
Show threaddemizeDec 14, 2022

@vcsjones

We do not store passwords, we do not store IP addresses, the only way for you to login to your account is by getting a code to your email address

Where does the encryption come from? Without a secret to derive a key from, how can their encryption be useful?

(I’m guessing the answer is “there is none”)

Show threadayla Dec 14, 2022
@vcsjones “Military grade” usually means cheapest last I checked lol.
I have a “military grade” MSI mobo in a desktop, it is tragic. Fancy buzzwords.
Show threadPatrick TownsendDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones Red flags everywhere. I encounter startups like this every few months. Nope.
Show threadRaineer  🦆Dec 14, 2022
@vcsjones @hacks4pancakes military grade storage is just a carbon fiber usb key rubber banded to a pair of ray-ban sunglasses
Show threadLesley Carhart Dec 14, 2022
@vcsjones @raineer with a gap between the hair and the ear and a bad mustache.
Show threadmxkDec 14, 2022
@hacks4pancakes @vcsjones @raineer according to it's box and manual, this usb3 external SSD is using "military grade" encryption.
So far the only thing noticable is the terrible usability.
Show threadThat Anonymous CowardDec 14, 2022

@raineer @vcsjones @hacks4pancakes

*sets this on the table & keeps walking*

Show threadHugo Slabbert ⚠️Dec 14, 2022
@raineer @vcsjones @hacks4pancakes Army issue: the sunglasses are a pair of Oakley knock-off wraparounds.
Air Force issue: the sunglasses are a pair of knock-off aviators.
Show threadquiark.ethDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones probably AES-2049
Show threadThom SlatteryDec 14, 2022

@vcsjones That first one is just... a slightly discounted display? They compare their pledge amount to the LG price, which is the same as the MSRP listed further down.

The second one makes me question the vetting process over at KS. I thought you had to at least demonstrate that you had something. That's not even a pitch deck.

Show threadthroAUDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones every time I hear “military grade” im thinking of that time US drones were sniffed because they were being controlled via unencrypted radio 10-15 years back
Show threadDeepu K SasidharanDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones you know who had military grade encryption? Eufy camera from Anker 😂 apparently you can stream them from a VLC player
Show threadMaddler  Dec 14, 2022

@vcsjones ", the only way for you to login to your account is by getting a code to your email address".

Sounds great too! :D

Show threadVojtěch MaříkDec 14, 2022
@vcsjones also questionable which military they are talking about, could be plaintext and still military grade in north korea
Show threadIchinin   ✅🎯🙄Dec 14, 2022

@vcsjones That definition is totally useless.

The detergent for cleaning floors in our military HQ was also "Military Grade"...🙄

Show threadirth  Dec 14, 2022
@vcsjones high risk, no reward